Bes, a minor god of ancient Egypt, represented as a dwarf with large head, goggle eyes, protruding tongue, bowlegs, bushy tail, and usually a crown of feathers. The name Bes is now used to designate a group of deities of similar appearance with a wide variety of ancient names. The god’s figure was

Proven?al literature: Decline and fall: …were by the Catalan author Ramon Vidal de Besalú: the Castia-gilos was an elegant treatment of a story of the husband who disguises himself as his wife’s lover, and the other was a recital of a question of the law of love. Mention may also be made of Novas del…

Besan?on, city, capital of Doubs département, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté région, eastern France. It lies astride a horseshoe meander of the Doubs River, 45 miles (75 km) east of Dijon. It early became the chief town (Vesontio) of the Sequani Gauls and in 58 bce was taken by Julius Caesar. Besan?on

Germany: Hohenstaufen cooperation and conflict with the papacy, 1152–1215: …in the so-called incident at Besan?on, wherein Adrian declared that Frederick had received the empire as a beneficium, or fief, from the pope, provoking the emperor and his advisers. Adrian apologized for the use of the term, explaining it meant “favour,” but only after relations between the emperor and pope…

Annie Besant, British social reformer, sometime Fabian socialist, theosophist, and Indian independence leader. Besant had been the wife of an Anglican clergyman. They separated in 1873, and Besant became associated for many years with the atheist and social reformer Charles Bradlaugh. She was an

Sir Walter Besant, English novelist and philanthropist, whose best work describing social evils in London’s East End helped set in motion movements to aid the poor. From 1861 to 1867 Besant taught at the Royal College, Mauritius, and in 1868 he became secretary to the Palestine Exploration Fund. In

Bessarabia, region in eastern Europe that passed successively, from the 15th to 20th century, to Moldavia, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine and Moldova. It is bounded by the Prut River on the west, the Dniester River on the north and east, the Black Sea on the s

Freidank: …by which he is known, Bescheidenheit (“Moderation”), a collection of gnomic verse, which seems to have been written about 1230. The fables, proverbs, and other sources on which Freidank drew were common property. His achievement rests in the formulation of aphorisms that have the authority of proverbs.

Lazarus Ercker: In his great work, Beschreibung allerfürnemisten mineralischen Ertzt und Berckwercksarten (1574; “Description of Leading Ore Processing and Mining Methods”), he presented a systematic review of the techniques then in use for testing alloys and minerals of silver, gold, copper, antimony, mercury, bismuth, and lead; of obtaining and refining such…

Friedrich Nicolai: Die Beschreibung einer Reise durch Deutschland und die Schweiz, 12 vol. (1788–96; “The Description of a Journey Through Germany and Switzerland”), a record of his reflections on man and the state of science, religion, industry, and morals, was widely read by 1796 and reflects the…

Franz Kafka: Works: …early works by Kafka as Description of a Struggle (begun about 1904) and Meditation, though their style is more concretely imaged and their structure more incoherent than that of the later works, are already original in a characteristic way. The characters in these works fail to establish communication with others,…

Siege of Antwerp: General Hans von Beseler’s III Reserve Corps—chosen to attack Antwerp—contained only five understrength divisions, but had been reinforced with 173 heavy artillery pieces. These included the super-heavy howitzers that had proved so effective against Liège and Namur.

Pechenegs, a seminomadic, apparently Turkic people who occupied the steppes north of the Black Sea (8th–12th century) and by the 10th century were in control of the lands between the Don and lower Danube rivers (after having driven the Hungarians out); they thus became a serious menace to

Ba?al Shem ?ov, (Hebrew: “Master of the Good Name”, ) charismatic founder (c. 1750) of ?asidism, a Jewish spiritual movement characterized by mysticism and opposition to secular studies and Jewish rationalism. He aroused controversy by mixing with ordinary people, renouncing mortification of the

Caucasus: Physiography: …zone to the southeast, where Mount Beshtau rises to 4,593 feet (1,400 metres) from the surrounding plateau; and, still farther to the southeast, the Terek and the Sunzha ranges, separated by the Alkhanchurt Valley. Eastern Ciscaucasia is a lowland traversed by the lower Terek River and, to the north beyond…

Uzbekistan: Relief: …latter featuring the 14,104-foot (4,299-metre) Beshtor Peak, the country’s highest point. Also part of the western Tien Shan are the Chatkal and Kurama ranges. The Gissar (Hissar) and Alay ranges stand across the Fergana (Farghona) Valley, which lies south of the western Tien Shan. The Mirzachol desert, southwest of Tashkent,…

Uganda: Domestic affairs: …was clouded by allegations that Kizza Besigye, the leader of the opposition group Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was imprisoned in the months leading up to the presidential election to stop him from participating. Besigye was ultimately released in January 2006 and able to stand for election in February, and,…

Georgian literature: The 18th and 19th centuries: …has a Romantic immediacy, and Besiki (pseudonym of Besarion Gabashvili) adapted conventional poetics to passionate love poetry. Both died in the 1790s while in exile.

Beskid Mountains, discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia, and southern Poland. The Czech sections at the western end of the Carpathian Mountains lie south and east of the Moravian Gate and are identified locally by smaller units.

Beskid Mountains, discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia, and southern Poland. The Czech sections at the western end of the Carpathian Mountains lie south and east of the Moravian Gate and are identified locally by smaller units.

children's literature: National and modern literature: …for small children headed by Elsa Beskow, whose work in pictures and text, extending over the years from 1897 to 1952, was decisive in its influence. This pre-modern period also saw many good writers for grown-ups devoting their talents to juvenile fiction. The sailing story M?larpirater (1911; “The Pirates of…

Biskra, town, northeastern Algeria, on the northern edge of the Sahara. It is the centre of the Zab (Ziban) group of oases south of a wide, open depression between the Aurès Massif and the Tell Atlas Mountains. On the site of Vescera, a fortified Roman post, Biskra prospered after Arab conquest in

Beskid Mountains, discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia, and southern Poland. The Czech sections at the western end of the Carpathian Mountains lie south and east of the Moravian Gate and are identified locally by smaller units.

Beslan school attack, violent takeover of a school in Beslan, a city in the North Caucasus republic of North Ossetia, Russia, in September 2004. Perpetrated by militants linked to the separatist insurgency in the nearby republic of Chechnya, the attack resulted in the deaths of more than 330

India: Indo-Greek rulers: An important Prakrit inscription at Besnagar (Bhilsa district) of the late 2nd century bce, inscribed at the instance of Heliodorus, a Greek envoy of Antialcidas of Taxila, records his devotion to the Vaishnava Vasudeva sect.

Kiss of the Spider Woman, novel by Manuel Puig, published in 1976 as El beso de la mujer ara?a. Mostly consisting of dialogue between two men in an Argentine jail cell, the novel traces the development of their unlikely friendship. Molina is a middle-aged lower-middle-class gay man who passes the

Besós River, river, northeastern Spain. The river begins in the Catalonian mountain range where the Congost River joins the Mogent River. The Besós then flows 25 miles (40 km) south and southeast into the Mediterranean Sea, north of Barcelona city. The final part of the river courses through a

Besós River, river, northeastern Spain. The river begins in the Catalonian mountain range where the Congost River joins the Mogent River. The Besós then flows 25 miles (40 km) south and southeast into the Mediterranean Sea, north of Barcelona city. The final part of the river courses through a

Western painting: International Gothic: In particular, Michelino da Besozzo seems as court artist to have worked in a soft style similar to that of Gentile. Also dating from around 1400 is a distinguished group of illuminated manuscripts including the Book of Hours of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, herbals (manuals containing botanical drawings),…

Bess beetle, (family Passalidae), any of approximately 500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) mostly found in the tropics, with a few species found in North America. They are characterized by their large size, ranging between 30 and 40 mm (1.2 and 1.6 inches) in length. Because of their

Forrest Bess , American painter, mystic, and hermit whose life and work have often been likened to the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh’s. Bess was a native of the Gulf Coast of Texas, where his father ran a seasonal bait camp on a swamp-surrounded island 18 miles southeast of Bay City. His father

Bess beetle, (family Passalidae), any of approximately 500 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) mostly found in the tropics, with a few species found in North America. They are characterized by their large size, ranging between 30 and 40 mm (1.2 and 1.6 inches) in length. Because of their

Agustina Bessa-Luís, novelist and short-story writer whose fiction diverged from the predominantly neorealistic regionalism of mid-20th-century Portuguese literature to incorporate elements of surrealism. The best-known of Bessa-Luís’s early novels is A Sibila (1954; “The Sibyl”), which won the E?a

Agustina Bessa-Luís, novelist and short-story writer whose fiction diverged from the predominantly neorealistic regionalism of mid-20th-century Portuguese literature to incorporate elements of surrealism. The best-known of Bessa-Luís’s early novels is A Sibila (1954; “The Sibyl”), which won the E?a

Bessarabia, region in eastern Europe that passed successively, from the 15th to 20th century, to Moldavia, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine and Moldova. It is bounded by the Prut River on the west, the Dniester River on the north and east, the Black Sea on the s

Bessarabia, region in eastern Europe that passed successively, from the 15th to 20th century, to Moldavia, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine and Moldova. It is bounded by the Prut River on the west, the Dniester River on the north and east, the Black Sea on the s

Bessarion, Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival of letters in the 15th century. He was educated at Constantinople (Istanbul) and adopted the name Bessarion upon becoming a monk in the order of St. Basil in 1423. In 1437 he was made a

Bessarion, Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival of letters in the 15th century. He was educated at Constantinople (Istanbul) and adopted the name Bessarion upon becoming a monk in the order of St. Basil in 1423. In 1437 he was made a

Bessarion, Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival of letters in the 15th century. He was educated at Constantinople (Istanbul) and adopted the name Bessarion upon becoming a monk in the order of St. Basil in 1423. In 1437 he was made a

Bessarion, Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival of letters in the 15th century. He was educated at Constantinople (Istanbul) and adopted the name Bessarion upon becoming a monk in the order of St. Basil in 1423. In 1437 he was made a

Bessarion, Byzantine humanist and theologian, later a Roman cardinal, and a major contributor to the revival of letters in the 15th century. He was educated at Constantinople (Istanbul) and adopted the name Bessarion upon becoming a monk in the order of St. Basil in 1423. In 1437 he was made a

Bessel function, any of a set of mathematical functions systematically derived around 1817 by the German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel during an investigation of solutions of one of Kepler’s equations of planetary motion. Particular functions of the set had been formulated earlier by the

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, German astronomer whose measurements of positions for about 50,000 stars and rigorous methods of observation (and correction of observations) took astronomy to a new level of precision. He was the first to measure accurately the parallax, and hence the distance, of a star

Bessemer, city, Jefferson county, north-central Alabama, U.S., about 15 miles (25 km) southwest of downtown Birmingham in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Named for inventor and engineer Sir Henry Bessemer, it was founded on the site of Fort Jonesboro in 1887 by Henry F.

Bessemer process: The Bessemer converter is a cylindrical steel pot approximately 6 metres (20 feet) high, originally lined with a siliceous refractory. Air is blown in through openings (tuyeres) near the bottom, creating oxides of silicon and manganese, which become part of the slag, and of carbon, which…

Bessemer process, the first method discovered for mass-producing steel. Though named after Sir Henry Bessemer of England, the process evolved from the contributions of many investigators before it could be used on a broad commercial basis. It was apparently conceived independently and almost

Henry Bessemer, inventor and engineer who developed the first process for manufacturing steel inexpensively (1856), leading to the development of the Bessemer converter. He was knighted in 1879. Bessemer was the son of an engineer and typefounder. He early showed considerable mechanical skill and

Pieter Bruegel, the Elder: Life: Coecke’s wife, Maria Verhulst Bessemers, was a painter known for her work in watercolour or tempera, a suspension of pigments in egg yolk or a glutinous substance, on linen. The technique was widely practiced in her hometown of Mechelen (Malines) and was later employed by Bruegel. It…

Hungarian literature: The period of the Enlightenment: …the first literary work by Gy?rgy Bessenyei, a translation (from the French) of Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man, the new era began. All of Bessenyei’s works served a didactic purpose. His drama ágis tragédiája (1772; “The Tragedy of Agis”) was a somewhat creaking vehicle for his liberal ideas. His best…

Besserungsstück, (German: “improvement play”) a genre of play popular in Vienna in the early 19th century. A form of Volksstück, a play written in local dialect for popular audiences, the Besserungsstück was concerned with the improvement in or remedy of some fault of the main character. Examples

Charles E. Bessey, botanist who introduced to the United States the systematic study of plant morphology and the experimental laboratory for botanical instruction on the college level. His arrangement of angiosperm (flowering plant) taxa, emphasizing the evolutionary divergence of primitive forms,

Charles E. Bessey, botanist who introduced to the United States the systematic study of plant morphology and the experimental laboratory for botanical instruction on the college level. His arrangement of angiosperm (flowering plant) taxa, emphasizing the evolutionary divergence of primitive forms,

Josef Lhévinne: His wife, Rosina Lhévinne, née Bessie (1880–1976), was an eminent pianist and teacher (her pupils included Van Cliburn, David Bar-Illan, John Browning, Mischa Dichter, and Daniel Pollack) and frequently appeared in two-piano recitals with her husband.

Jean-Baptiste Bessières, duke d’Istrie, French soldier and, as one of Napoleon’s marshals, commander of the imperial guard after 1804. His appointment as marshal signaled Napoleon’s intention to develop the imperial guard. In 1792 Bessières joined Louis XVI’s constitutional guard as a private.

perpetual motion: …marquess of Worcester (1601–67), and Johann Bessler, known as Orffyreus (1680–1745). Both machines gave impressive demonstrations by virtue of their ability to operate for long periods of time, but they could not run indefinitely.

Natalya Igoryevna Bessmertnova, Russian ballerina (born July 19, 1941, Moscow, U.S.S.R.—died Feb. 19, 2008, Moscow, Russia), brought elegance, technical expertise, and a deeply romantic style to some 30 different roles during her long career (1961–95) with the Bolshoi Ballet. Bessmertnova was

Jacques Besson, engineer whose improvements in the lathe were of great importance in the development of the machine-tool industry and of scientific instrumentation. Besson’s designs, published in his illustrated treatise Theatrum instrumentorum (1569), introduced cams and templates (patterns used

Bessus, Achaemenid satrap (governor) of Bactria and Sogdiana under King Darius III of Persia. In 330, after Alexander the Great had defeated Darius in several major battles, Bessus murdered Darius and assumed the kingship as Artaxerxes IV. He then attempted to continue resistance against Alexander

beer: Types of beer: Pale ale is less strong, less bitter, paler in colour, and clearer than porter. Mild ales—weaker, darker, and sweeter than bitter—are a common variation; more colour is obtained by special malts, roasted barley, or caramels, less hops are used, and cane sugar is added to…

Judi Dench: She was featured in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and its 2015 sequel, both of which concern the comic hijinks of a group of British retirees in India. Dench also starred alongside Steve Coogan in Philomena (2013), based on the true story of a woman’s search for a…

Best Friend of Charleston, first steam locomotive built in the United States for regular railway service. A vertical boiler mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the Best Friend was built by the West Point Foundry of New York and put into service on a broad-gauge line from Charleston to Hamburg, S.C.,

Jane Lynch: …highly competitive dog trainer in Best in Show (2000), an improvisation-based mockumentary that lampooned the eccentric world of dog shows. Guest, known for working with the same actors from film to film, cast Lynch in his next two movies, as a porn star turned folk singer in A Mighty Wind…

Dolly Parton: …as 9 to 5) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), for which she revived one of her most popular songs, “I Will Always Love You” (1974). (Whitney Houston later recorded the song for the film The Bodyguard [1992], and it went on to sell millions of copies.) In…

John Sturges: Early work: Best Man Wins (1948) was based on Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” and it starred Edgar Buchanan as the peripatetic gambler. The melodrama The Sign of the Ram (1948) featured a wheelchair-bound Susan Peters (who had been crippled in a real-life…

Franklin J. Schaffner: The Best Man (1964) was a knowing dissection of political conventions and the bartering of power. That dramedy, which was based on the Gore Vidal play, featured Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson as presidential candidates. Schaffner next directed The War Lord (1965), a medieval drama…

Best of all possible worlds, in the philosophy of the early modern philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716), the thesis that the existing world is the best world that God could have created. Leibniz’s argument for the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds, now commonly called

Jean Negulesco: Millionaire and Three Coins: The Best of Everything (1959) was an entertaining drama about women working in New York City’s publishing world. It boasted a fine cast that included Joan Crawford, Suzy Parker, Martha Hyer, Hope Lange, and Robert Evans.

Nicholas Sparks: …Lucky One (2008; film 2012), The Best of Me (2011; film 2014), and The Longest Ride (2013; film 2015). In 2015 he released the novel See Me, about a pair of lovers with troubled pasts. Later works included Two by Two (2016) and Every Breath (2018).

Best seller, book that, for a time, leads all others of its kind in sales, a designation that serves as an index of popular literary taste and judgment. Bookman, an American magazine of literature and criticism, began running best-seller lists in 1895, when it began publication. The list was

William Wyler: Films of the 1940s: …transformed into the box-office hit The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), which made more money than any other movie to that point in history except Gone With the Wind (1939). It accomplished that despite a length—172 minutes—that limited its play dates.

Charles H. Best, physiologist who, with Sir Frederick Banting, was one of the first to obtain (1921) a pancreatic extract of insulin in a form that controlled diabetes in dogs. The successful use of insulin in treating human patients followed. But because Best did not receive his medical degree

Charles H. Best, physiologist who, with Sir Frederick Banting, was one of the first to obtain (1921) a pancreatic extract of insulin in a form that controlled diabetes in dogs. The successful use of insulin in treating human patients followed. But because Best did not receive his medical degree

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